Retail Safety

Working retail has some obvious hazards. There is the stress in pulling out two dozen shoes trying to find a style that suits a nervous girl going to her first prom. Or trying to calm a 40-something, overweight executive who insists that all the trousers are marked two sizes smaller than they should be.

Physical dangers also lurk when you work in a retail environment. Taking a health and safety course to learn proper lifting technique, handling machinery carefully and working on good posture can all help minimize the problems. And regular reminders are beneficial in keeping workers alert to common dangers. Toolbox meeting effectiveness training is just as relevant for safety meeting leaders in this environment as it is for construction sites.

Stores are awash in boxes and other types of packaging that bring goods from the factory and warehouse to the store. To get rid of the boxes, most large stores use compactor-shredder machinery for the recycling ofcardboard and paper. As handy as this type of equipment is, it is dangerous to operate unless you are property trained.

The material is compacted with powerful ramming devices that crush the cardboard and paper. If you get a hand or other part of your body in the way, you will get seriously injured. The shredders have sharp blades, effective in chopping all types of paper products into small slivers. They also chop body parts with ease.

Anyone operating a compactor-shredder or working close by one needs to be trained on how to use it, and especially how to stop it.A qualified instructor from the manufacturer or one employed by the retail shop needs to teach each employee the safest way to turn it on, operate it and turn it off. Staff who work close by should be shown how to turn it off in case a worker gets caught in the device. The instruction manual should be kept close by for quick reference.

Every shredder comes equipped with a safeguard device that needs to be used and never bypassed. Trying to get around it to speed up the process can easily result in serious injury, including losing a limb. Toolbox meeting effectiveness training can help safety leaders communicate the importance of work-place safety around dangerous machines like the compactor-shredder.

Repetitive Use Injury

Doing inventory, stocking the shelves or folding clothes can easily result in repetitive use injuries, much the same way computer workers get carpal tunnel. Muscles and tendons get strained because they weren’t made for doing the same action over and over again. You can prevent most repetitive injuries by following some simple precautions.

The best way to avoid injury is being aware of your posture and taking frequent breaks to stretch and walk around. When you stand or sit straight, your body is more relaxed. In this natural position, you have much less chance of developing symptoms like pain or numbness, especially in your hands.

Be sure to handle products using your entire hand, not just your forefinger and thumb. Be careful of your wrists when swiping goods on the scanner, putting boxes on shelves, or other repeated actions.

Other Dangers

Back injuries are also common for retail workers. Maneuvering large boxes into grocery carts, cars or handcarts takes a toll on the torso. Use proper lifting form by standing close to the bundle you are transferring. Don’t bend over to pick up a load or to put it down. When you lean over, you can easily twist the muscles in your back. Instead, use your legs to squat down and raise back up.

If you need to open boxes with a safety knife, be sure to use it carefully. Since they need to be sharp to open cartons, they can easily cut you as well as the box. Be conscious of what you are doing when slitting open a carton. It’s important for your own safety to avoid distractions. Try putting the box flat on a table or the floor before cutting.

Clean up clutter and spills to avoid falls. Though this is standard policy in public areas of retail establishments to protect customers, it is equally important in areas frequented only by workers.

Be sure to use step ladders made for inventory stocking or getting boxes down from high shelves. Don’t try to step on a chair to reach a box. To avoid falls, move the ladder from one spot to another instead of reaching too far outward.

As safe as a store seems for workers, it is easy to get injured. Using common sense and a few precautions can reduce the physical dangers found in the retail workplace.

~Mary Hannick

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safetyBUILT-IN is the safety-leadership learning and development division of SCInc. We believe sustainable safety performance is best achieved through a core-values based safety culture, and that culture must be driven by leadership. Our safety-leadership programs are competency-based, and focused on performance outcomes. We believe in building capability and ownership into our client organizations—as well as sustainability into our programs—so that our clients can continue running those programs long after we’re out of the picture. Our emphasis is on building better leadership presence, better leadership communication and better leadership coaching by first building relationships of trust with people and learning how to engage them on the level of their core values and beliefs.

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In my 25 years of EHS work, I have never seen so much positive response from a Safety program. Typical responses identify the fact that this is so much more than Safety Training – it is Leadership training that will help them in all aspects of their employee engagement efforts. I believe, with continued leadership… Read more ““Transformational””

“This was one of the best leadership workshops that I’ve been to in my career (simple and effective tools)! It will help drive safety as a core value. I think it will really make people better leaders as a whole. That will drive our overall business in the right direction, starting with safety.” Shawn Myers,… Read more ““One of the Best Leadership Workshops””

“I have attended other safety workshops in the past, but none has ever laid out the skills building and leadership qualities like this one. I was fully engaged the entire two days. I can’t wait to practice these skills.” Phil Laudolff | General Mills

“Being a manager of safety comes with many challenges. I have learned over time that the traditional style of safety compliance training, such as videos, generic presentations, etc., may not be totally effective for ensuring our employees understand the pertinent information presented, and how to utilize that information as part of their every day life.… Read more ““Gives Employees a New Way of Thinking …””

“What stood out to me the most was that coaching based on core values is more effective than citing compliance to policies. Every supervisor and manager should attend!” Pat Hodgson, SHE Manager | BAE Systems

“Outstanding workshop! It was far more than a safety meeting. This will have an impact on our operation. I am anxious to send my next level of management at the next opportunity.” Joe Gednalske, Director of Product Development

“The safetyBUILT-IN team provided our employees with a perspective on how to view safety such that they want to be involved in leading safety in the organization. The program gave us simple, understandable tools and techniques for leading and coaching not only safety but every other discipline we deal with in the work environment. I… Read more ““Changed Our Mindset About Safety””

“Strong and clear leadership course that brings practical and effective methods to identify opportunities, resolve them, coach, and drive results. Clear, meaningful subject matter, and fantastic materials. Love the ‘do’ focus of the course and the ongoing feedback–and the facilitator actually practices the methods during the course! Informs the mind, but superbly connects to the… Read more ““One of the Best Experiences …””

“Facilitator was one of the best, if not the best presenter and speaker that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. I believe this training is important and pertinent enough to allocate the appropriate needed expenditures to ensure that ALL SUPERVISORS AND LEAD PEOPLE from every location in the pipeline attend. I was… Read more ““All Leaders Need to Attend””

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“The safetyBUILT-IN team provided our employees with a perspective on how to view safety such that they want to be involved in leading safety in the organization. The program gave us simple, understandable tools and techniques for leading and coaching not only safety but every other discipline we deal with in the work environment. I… Read more ““Changed Our Mindset About Safety””

“Facilitator was one of the best, if not the best presenter and speaker that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. I believe this training is important and pertinent enough to allocate the appropriate needed expenditures to ensure that ALL SUPERVISORS AND LEAD PEOPLE from every location in the pipeline attend. I was… Read more ““All Leaders Need to Attend””

“What stood out to me the most was that coaching based on core values is more effective than citing compliance to policies. Every supervisor and manager should attend!” Pat Hodgson, SHE Manager | BAE Systems

In my 25 years of EHS work, I have never seen so much positive response from a Safety program. Typical responses identify the fact that this is so much more than Safety Training – it is Leadership training that will help them in all aspects of their employee engagement efforts. I believe, with continued leadership… Read more ““Transformational””

“Being a manager of safety comes with many challenges. I have learned over time that the traditional style of safety compliance training, such as videos, generic presentations, etc., may not be totally effective for ensuring our employees understand the pertinent information presented, and how to utilize that information as part of their every day life.… Read more ““Gives Employees a New Way of Thinking …””

“This was one of the best leadership workshops that I’ve been to in my career (simple and effective tools)! It will help drive safety as a core value. I think it will really make people better leaders as a whole. That will drive our overall business in the right direction, starting with safety.” Shawn Myers,… Read more ““One of the Best Leadership Workshops””

“Strong and clear leadership course that brings practical and effective methods to identify opportunities, resolve them, coach, and drive results. Clear, meaningful subject matter, and fantastic materials. Love the ‘do’ focus of the course and the ongoing feedback–and the facilitator actually practices the methods during the course! Informs the mind, but superbly connects to the… Read more ““One of the Best Experiences …””

“I have attended other safety workshops in the past, but none has ever laid out the skills building and leadership qualities like this one. I was fully engaged the entire two days. I can’t wait to practice these skills.” Phil Laudolff | General Mills

“Outstanding workshop! It was far more than a safety meeting. This will have an impact on our operation. I am anxious to send my next level of management at the next opportunity.” Joe Gednalske, Director of Product Development